1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fluid flow through pipes and especially to the regulation of water flow through a faucet.
2. Related Art
Water is a precious resource. It becomes even more precious when it is scarce. A severe decrease in precipitation, known as drought, is a recurring problem in many regions throughout the world. In the United States, for example, drought conditions spanning different sections of the Union have been experienced at various times in its history. Perhaps the most famous drought in the United States being the drought of the 1930's known as the “Dust Bowl,” centered in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma. Recently, starting in 2011, the Western States, especially California, have been experiencing a severe drought.
The period between 2011 and 2014 have been the driest in California history. On Jan. 17, 2014, California's governor proclaimed a State of Emergency throughout the State of California because of the ongoing drought. This State of Emergency, imposed through executive authority, mandated that the State Water Resources Control Board implement a statewide reduction of 25 percent in potable urban water usage and called on the public to reduce water consumption, among other emergency measures. Various conservation measures have been enacted by agencies of California that are still in place at the time of the filing of this application. An important place in the water distribution system to conserve water is at the faucets of dwellings, such as, for example, single-family homes and apartments; and in commercial buildings, such as hotels and restaurants. One approach to help conserve water is to install hands-free faucets that are located in the kitchens and bathrooms of the foregoing structures. In addition to helping conserve water, hands-free faucets have other advantages, as described below.
One type of hands-free faucet was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,157,548 and teaches a foot pedal assembly connected by wire to a valve assembly located in the plumbing under a sink. The primary disadvantage of this type of hands-free faucet is that the standard plumbing under the sink must be modified for the insertion of a mechanical valve assembly. Another significant disadvantage is that the pedal is not designed to be operated by a hand, elbow or knee.
Another hands-free faucet was disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,629 issued on Jul. 13, 1993 to Millman et al. Millman teaches a radio controlled faucet with a valve assembly attachable to a nozzle of the faucet. The valve assembly disclosed in Millman has a small pinion gear driven by a battery-powered motor for moving a gate valve member mounted on a rectilinear track. The valve assembly also includes a radio receiving unit for actuating a motor that controls water flow by turning a gear-driven motor, where the radio signal comes from a sending unit operated by the user's foot. Although Millman teaches a hands-free faucet that does not require modifying the plumbing under the sink to insert a valve assembly and does not require a wire, there are numerous disadvantages to the remote controlled faucet taught by Millman. One disadvantage is that the gear-driven motor in the valve assembly consumes too much energy that quickly depletes the battery and is subject to mechanical failure from wear-and-tear. A second disadvantage is that the valve assembly has no way to recharge the battery. A third disadvantage is that the mechanical system disclosed is expensive to manufacture. In view of these and other disadvantages, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings and deficiencies in the related art.